Author(s): COCHRANE Peter

Fiction

Australian Greats is a fascinating and wide-ranging collection of pieces by noteworthy writers, commentators, larrikins and curmudgeons on distinctive and sometimes surprising aspects of Australian life and history. There are 553 entries providing a veritable cornucopia of subjects including politics, the arts, food, sport, distinguished individuals, language, innovations, discoveries, fashion, film and more in a spicy mix of popular and high culture. The delight in this book comes not just from a given subject but who has written about it and what he or she has to say about it. The whole is a quirky and compelling volume that contributes to the debate on national identity in a highly idiosyncratic and readable way. Australian Greats is a spirited colloquy on identity and nationhood for those of us who call Australia home.